Nozzle adjusting mechanism



Aug. 17, 1965 .D. s. ERNEST NOZZLE ADJUSTING MECHANISM 2 Sheets"'-Sheet1 Filed June 5, 1961 Aug. 17, 1965 .D- s. ERNEST NOZZLE ADJUSTINGMECHANISM Filed June 5. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent3,200,586 NOZZLE ADJUSTING MECHANISM Dale S. Ernest, Beltsville, Md.,assignor to Kelsey-Hayes Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation ofDelaware Filed June 5, 1961, Ser. No. 114,710 1 Claim. (Cl. 60-3555)This invention relates to a device for controlling the flight of anaircraft, rocket, missile or the like and, particularly, to a nozzleadjusting mechanism for a guided vehicle having an angularly adjustableexhaust nozzle.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a nozzle adjustingmechanism for a missile or the like which is sturdy in construction,reliable in operation and inexpensive of manufacture.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a nozzleadjusting mechanism of the above character in which a feedbackpotentiometer or guidance control system component is reliably andpositively actuated simultaneously with the actuation of the nozzle toprovide an accurate indication of the position of the nozzle.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a deviceof the above character which is compact in size, has a minimum number ofseparate conduits and fittings, and effects positive and direct movementof the parts intended to be actuated.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanyin g drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a missile embodying theprinciples of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the structure illustrated in FIG;1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional View of the structure illustrated in FIG. 2 takenalong the line 3-3 thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a-sectional view of the structure illustrated in in FIG. 3taken along the line 44 thereof.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates a missile having amain body provided with a rear wall 12. Mounted on the rear wall 12 area plurality of exhaust nozzles 13 spaced symmetrically about thelongitudinal mid-line or axis of the missile as may be seen in FIG. 2.Eachof the nozzles 13 is mounted in an identical manner and each nozzle13 is provided with its own actuating mechanism, the construction anddetails of which are .indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The rear wall 12 isprovided with a plurality of openings 14 and each nozzle 13 is mountedover an opening 14 so as to guide and direct the expanding products ofcombustion or jet stream emitted from the missile. The missile 10 isadapted to be propelled by the reactive force of the hot gases emittedfrom the nozzles 13 and the direction in which the gases leave themissile will, in the absence of other influencing factors, control thedirection of flight of the missile. The nozzles 13 serve to con-fine thegases as they leave the missile in the Well known manner and are soarranged that upon angular or rotational adjustment of each nozzle, thedirection of thrust of the gases discharged therefrom will be alteredfor purposes of controlling the path of flight of the missile.

Each of the openings 14 on the rear wall 12 of the missile is surroundedby a raised rib 16 having a rearwardlyopen circular groove 18 formed inthe outer sur: face thereof. Conformably and tightly surrounding eachrib 16 is a mounting collar 20 extending rearwardly beyond the rib 16and having a radially outwardly extending base portion 22 lying flatlyagainst the rear wall 12 and secured thereto. Each of the mountingcollars 20 and the rib 16 associated therewith serves as supportingmeans for a nozzle 13. *FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate one of 3 ,28,586Patented Aug. 17, 1965 "Ice such nozzles and a description of thestructure illustrated therein Will serve to describe each of the nozzles13 and the adjusting mechanism associated therewith.

As may be seen in FIG. 3, the collar 20 carries a split ring 24 adjacentits outer end which serves to confine the outer race 26 of a ballbearing unit 28 against the end of the rib 16, thereby holding the outerrace 26in a stationary position relative to the missile. The inner race30 of the ball bearing unit is threaded onto the end of a tail blockmember 32, as is indicated at 34. The inner race 30 seats against ashoulder 36 formed on the tail block member 32 and is held thereagainstby a nut 38 having an integral ring .portion 40 guidingly seated in thegroove 18. A seal 40 is positioned between the nut 38 and the outer race26 to prevent the passage of expanding gases thereby.

The ball bearing unit 36 serves to support the tail block 32 of thenozzle 13 for rotational or oscillatory movement about an axis A and theinner and outer races 30 and 26, respectively, are concentric with theaxis A. The tail block 32 has a portion 44 which defines the throat ofthe nozzle and an outwardly flaring portion 46 at the outer end thereof.Both the throat portion 44 and the outwardly flaring portion 46 areinternally lined, as indicated at 48, with a suitable protectivematerial, such as arc-sprayed tungsten, for protection against the hotand corrosive gases passing therethrough. The outwardly flaring port-ion46 of the tail block 32 is joined to a cone member 50 which forms asmooth continuation of the inner and outer surfaces of the tail block32. The portion 46 and the cone member 50 define an outwardly flaring,inwardly concave nozzle element of circular cross section which issymmetrical about the axis -B. Thus, the expanding products ofcombustion or jet stream passing through the nozzle will be centeredabout and have the direction of the axis B in being discharged from thelarge open end 54 of the nozzle. Both the outwardly flaring section 4-6and the cone member 50 are externally coated with an insulating material52. It will lbe appreciated, however, that the selection of thematerials of the nozzle 13 or the insulating or protective note anyparticular cross-sectional shape.

coatings used therewith form no part of the present invention.

The tail block 32 has a milled, segmental cylindrical surface 56 formedon the side thereof to which a toothed pinion segment 58 is mounted bymeans of cap screws 60 so as to be concentric with the axis A. Thepinion segment 58 is engaged by a reciprocal or shiftable element in theform of a rack 62 carried on one side of a cylinder or housing 64. Asused herein the word cylinder is intended to mean any member having afluid chamber enclosing a piston or the like and is not intended to de-The cylinder 64 is rectilinearly and axially movable on a shaft 66 whichis fixedly mounted between a pair of brackets 68 and 70 fastened to thebase 22 of the collar20. The shaft 66 has threaded, reduced diameter endportions 66:: and 66b extending through the brackets 68 and 70,respectively, and receiving nuts 72 and 74 which bear against thebrackets 68 and 70 to maintain the shaft 66 in place. In addition, apair of hoses or flexible conduits 76 and 78 are connected to the endportions 66a and 66b. The hose 76 is adapted to deliver hydraulic fluidto and evacuate hydraulic fluid from a passage 80 extending axiallythrough the left-hand end of the shaft 66 (as viewed in FIG. 4) whichcommunicates with a port 82 formed on a shouldered portion 84 of theshaft 66 located within the cylinder 64. The hose 78 is adapted todeliver fluid into or receive fluid from a passage 86 extending axiallythrough the right-hand end of the shaft 66 and terminating in a port 88,formed on 3 a shouldered portion 90 of the shaft 66, and located in thecylinder 64. An annular piston member 92 carrying an O-ring 94 insealing engagement with the inner wall of the cylinder 64 is disposedon'the shaft 66 and is held against the shouldered portion 90 by meansof a split ring 96 fitted between the one side of the piston 92 and theshouldered portion 84. The leftand right-hand ends of the cylinder (asviewed in FIG. 4) are closed by means of a pair of centrally aperturedend wall mem bers 98 and 100, respectively. The end wall membersserve'to guide and support the cylinder 64 for reciprocation on theshaft 66 and are provided with O-rings 102 and 104 which sealinglyengage the shaft 66 to prevent the passage of hydraulic fluid thereby.The hoses 76 and 78 are adapted to be connected to suitable valvemechanism (not shown) so that when fluid is forced through the hose 76and out of the port 82 to the lefthand end of the cylinder, a force willbe exerted against the end wall 98 to cause the cylinder to move in alefthand direction. Such fluid as may remain in the righthand end of thecylinder is forced out of the cylinder through the port 88 and isevacuated throughthe hose '78. Such movement will cause the rack 62 torotate the pinion segment 58 in a counterclockwise direction,v

thereby inclining the axis B relative to the position of the axis B asit is shown in FIG. 3. It will, of course, be appreciated that fluid maybe admitted to the rightobjects above stated, it will be appreciatedthatthe invention is susceptible to, modification, variation and changewithout departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoinedclaim.

What is claimed is:

In a propulsively driven vehicle'having an angularly adjustabledischarge nozzle, collar means for rotatably securing said nozzle to thevehicle, said collar means including anti-friction means annularlydisposed about a portion of said nozzle for rotatably holding saidnozzle and including seal means peripherally disposed about a portion ofsaid nozzle for preventing the escape of gases between said collar meansand said nozzle, a shaft mounted on said collar means adjacent saidnozzle, a piston on said shaft, a cylinder enclosing said piston andshiftable on said shaft under the influence of fluid power, saidcylinder having opposite end walls having openings through which saidshaft extends for supporting and guiding said cylinder, means foradmitting fluid into said cylinder on opposite sides of said piston,angularly driven sensing means for continuously sensing the angularposition of said shaft and for providing a signal having a magnitudevarying in accordance with variations in the angular position of saidnozzle whereby the angular hand end of the cylinder 64 to shift thecylinder 64 in a a potentiometer is indicated at 106 as being mounted onthe collar 20. The shaft of the potentiometer is provided with a pinion108 which is engageable with a rack 110 carried on a side of thecylinder 64 opposite the rack 62. Thus, shifting of the cylinder 64 willuniformly move both the rack 62 and the rack 110, and simultaneouslyactuate the nozzle 13 and the potentiometer 106.

In FIG. 3, the axis B is in a position parallel to the, longitudinalaxis of the missile.

missile would thus tend to uniformly propel the missile, assuming auniform thrust from each nozzle and the absence of gravitational orother external forces. In order to compensate for any such externalforces or to correct any deviation from the desired path of themisposition of said nozzle can be controlled in accordance with saidsignal, a pinion drivably connected .to said sensing means, a pinionsegment on said nozzle, and rack means on said cylinder engageable withsaid pinion and pinion segment for producing angular. movement of saidnozzle and said sensing means. upon shifting movement of said cylinderonsaid shaft, said rack means.

comprising a first gear rack mounted on said piston and engageable withsaid pinion segment with one gear ratio I The several nozzles 13 beingequally spaced-about the longitudinal axis of the sile, fluid isdirected into the cylinder in a suitable direction to incline the axis Bby any desired amount.

It will be appreciated that the shifting of the cylinder in eitherdirection will uniformly and positively rotate or angularly adjust theposition of both the nozzle and the potentiometer 106, whereby thepotentiometer will I accurately and reliably-respond to evenvery slightmovements ofthe associated nozzle 13, yet the mechanism of thepresentinvention provides a device which is extremely'sturdy in constructionand which may be very inexpensively fabricated. Further, the presentmechanism contains a minimum of separate parts which can 5 becomedamaged or misadjusted.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment hereinillustrated is well calculated to fulfill the and a second gear rackmounted on said piston" and engageable with saidpinion with a differentgear ratio, said sensing means comprising a resistance element actuablefor varying said magnitude of said signal.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 859,737 7/07Brown 121-50 877,635 1/08 Dietz 0 .121-50 2,490,174 12/49 Teague 121-412,587,893 3/52 Pridy et al 121-50 X 2,590,272 3/52 Robertson et al.-3555 2,688,313 9/54 Bauer- 2,800,766 7/57 Hemsworth 60-356 2,840,1706/58 Best 121-50 X 2,944,395 7/60 Doak 60-3554 2,950,594 8/60 Mitrovichet al. -2 60-356 2,986,877 6/61 Emmons et al. 60-3555 2,995,319 8/61Kershner et al. 60-3555 X 3,013,386 12/61 Meyer 60-3554 3,018,988 1/62Ernst et al 91-363 X 3,050,937 8/62 James et'al. 60-3554 FOREIGN PATENTS727,255 3/55 Great Britain.

755,019 8/ 56 Great Britain.

853,450 11/60 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Flight Publicationflan. 13, 1961; pages. 42 and 43.

SAMUEL LEVINE, Primary Examiner.

JULIUS E. WEST, ABRAM BLUM, Examiners.

